Don't yell at me (4/20/2022)
For some time, we lived in an apartment complex with a small playground nearby. Usually, kids are fairly loud when they are playing, but you cannot hold that against them. At that age it is a natural thing and I remember doing my share of screaming when I was that young.
What got to me though was that some of the parents could not be bothered to walk to the park and pick up their kids when it was time for them to come home. Instead, they yelled on top of their lungs from their doorstep, hoping it would be loud enough to attract attention.And then the kids started screaming even louder in response and a shouting match had started, much to the dismay of those who like some degree of quietness.
I believe a situation like that shows a severe lack of class and common sense. It is often unnecessary; people can communicate in a normal tone of voice if they just would take a few seconds and physically approach each other.
Signs of age? I don't think so; I had the same dislike when I was in my twenties. I usually don't respond either if someone tries to get my attention from a distance. If you want to talk to me, you have to come close enough so we can have a conversation without disturbing the peace in the neighborhood.
No jokes & riddles please (4/17/2022)
I like to talk to people, and I pride myself on the ability to get a conversation going with just about anyone. And it doesn’t matter if I talk to a guest at our place or to a total stranger in the grocery checkout line.
Of course, starting a conversation is just one thing, to keep it going it takes another interested party. Some people are just not very talkative and since I don’t want to press on, I give up as soon as I get no meaningful response.
Sometimes it happens that the other person is more than willing to talk, but soon I am the one who wants to get out of it. This for instance occurs when I’m facing a big talker. You probably know what I mean; they make more money than anyone else, their car is faster, their kids are smarter, etc. I have a cousin who is like that. He used to visit my dad and I and all night we had to listen to his over the top heroics. And with each passing hour his tales became wilder. I think nobody could blame us for making excuses so he would stop coming over.
I resent lazy co-workers (04/14/2022)
I worked for a small company and one of my co-workers was the sister of the owner. She was a nice lady and we worked together very well. She always worked hard and made sure things were done in time.
Then she decided to leave. The physical work became too much for her and she wanted to do something different. An ad was put in the paper (no Internet yet), and we received quite a few responses.
Hank seemed to be the best candidate He was in the right age group, had a positive demeanor and he had a degree in art history. A most welcome qualification for someone who works at an auction house.
I led the job interview and I put emphasis on the fact that, especially right before and during the auctions, there was a lot of physical labor to be done. “No problem,” he said. “I like being busy physically, it’s good for the body.”
Ungrateful people (04/13/2022)
Many years ago, I worked for a small auction company, selling art, antiques, collectibles, and household goods.
It was one of my most interesting jobs and I stayed there for 10 years. It was hard work, physically demanding but I learned a lot and I met many interesting people.
One day my boss, the owner of the company, asked me to pick up some ceramics that he had appraised at someone’s house. The owners were pleased with a possible $3500 in proceeds and they decided to sell all of it,
I made an appointment and as always, I took the necessary moving materials with me. However, when I arrived, the items were already boxed up and ready to go. The husband told me that he had decided to get some boxes from a moving company and packed everything up so they could put it safely out of the way.
